


Wide-Eyed Pisces

by ariofthesea



Series: O Children [1]
Category: DRAMAtical Murder (Visual Novel)
Genre: Basically childhood memories in this case, Childhood Memories, Family Bonding, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-09 06:54:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3240401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariofthesea/pseuds/ariofthesea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which a robot receives a new name, one that fits him much better than his serial number.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wide-Eyed Pisces

“Hey, sport. Can you hear me?”

The robot formerly known as R-2E-054 woke to the sound of his grandfather’s voice.  He shot up to a sitting position in one blinding movement, only to feel an electrical surge rush to the base of his neck. 

“Easy there,” said his grandfather, placing a hand on his back for support.  “I just finished patching you up, so for now, take things nice and slow.” 

“Sorry if I startled you, Grandfather.”

“Not a problem.”

With his grandfather’s hand still on his back, the robot gently rose to his feet.  He then opened and clenched his hands, a basic fine motor skill that often helped him assess how he felt after a series of intensive modifications. 

“Well?”

“Everything seems to feel okay so far,” the robot answered.

“All right then, let’s try something else. Walk in a straight line, and remember to line up your toes with your heels as best as you can.”

The robot did as instructed, visualizing a painted white line in his mind’s eye.  After completing a few more simple exercises, his grandfather said: 

“How about we speed things up a bit?  Look sharp!”

Within the span of a millisecond, the robot registered that an apple was flying towards his head and stopped its trajectory with a perfect catch. His grandfather let out an impressed whistle.

“Gotta say, you’re really getting better with that one.” 

“Thank you,” the robot said right before sinking his teeth into the apple’s tart skin. 

“To tell you the truth, I didn’t wake you up just because I finished your newest mods.  There’s something else I want to do with you.”  

“Shome’hing elsh?”

“Please don’t talk with your mouth full.” 

The robot tilted his head back to swallow a large chunk of apple.  “Sorry.”

“So anyway, there’s somewhere I’d like to take you. Think you could be ready in a few minutes?”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

“Great.  Make sure your mask is properly adjusted before you step outside.”

Just as his grandfather began to descend the stairs, the robot asked:

“Wait, where exactly are we going?”

His grandfather responded with a wink, and nothing else.

***** 

The two walked down a winding trail filled with large tree roots, muddy patches, and other obstructions concealed by the thickening darkness.  The lantern the robot’s grandfather used provided minimal lighting, which he explained would make it easier for their eyes to adjust when the time came to turn it off.

“Adjust to what?”  The robot asked.

“Patience, kiddo.  We’re almost there, so you’ll see soon enough.”

As they approached the clearing at the trail’s end, the sound of lapping waves filled their ears.  The robot and his grandfather exchanged an anticipatory glance before extinguishing the light together.  

At first, the robot thought he was looking at a reflection of the starry sky.  Upon closer inspection, he realized that the neon blue lights dancing in the water weren’t stars at all, but rather hundreds of thousands of bioluminescent jellyfish washing up on the shoreline.

“Ah!”  The robot gasped, a warm sensation filling his body.  “Grandfather, this is—” 

“Right after we moved into our house, I heard from the locals that these little guys come up from the deep during the breeding season, which happened to be ending at that time.  One of the nights when you were asleep, I took a little stroll out here and saw what you’re seeing now.  I felt like I could stay forever, but I also knew I shouldn’t leave you alone for too long.  So I swore to myself that I would bring you along during the next breeding season. Because as you learn more about the world, you should take with you experiences as beautiful as this.”

His grandfather smiled.  “All right, that’s enough from me.  Go on and enjoy yourself.” 

The robot took a few hesitant steps toward the shoreline. He looked back at his grandfather, who gave a firm nod that encouraged him to go on.  He then sprinted for the shoreline, landing on his knees right at the beginning of the line of jellyfish bodies.  As his fingers waded through the masses of glowing bodies and made little whirlpools, the robot laughed like a child splashing in the ocean’s waves for the first time.  He soon became lost in his own little world, where the jellyfish turned into magical little dancers in the palm of his gloved hand.

“You seem to be very happy, Clear.”

His grandfather’s voice returned him to the real world, with that strange word in particular echoing in his head.

“Ku-RI-ah?” 

“That’s right, ‘Clear.’  I think that should be your name.”

The robot tilted his head.  “What makes you say that?” 

“Well, you’ve gone without a proper name for a some time now.  That’s admittedly my fault, and it’s because I had a hard time thinking of a name that would really suit you.  But seeing the way you acted tonight made me realize that ‘Clear’ describes you very well. But let me ask you: would you like that to be your name?”

The robot paused for a moment, and then answered: “Yes.  It has a nice sound to it.  But what about it describes me well?” 

Clear’s grandfather smiled. “How about I leave that up to your imagination?”


End file.
